Improvement in steam-engines



UNITED JAMES E.

ATVVOOD, OF BUCKSPORT, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINES.

Specilieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 36.9@5L dated November '25, 1862.

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. ATwooD, of Bucksport, in the county of Hancock, in the State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Steam-Engine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference bei ng had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a side View. Fig. 2 is an inside view of cylinder A with its several working parts and steam-generator and fire berth and reservoir. Fig. 3 is an inside view of escape or let-off; Fig. 4, inside view of feed-pump and end view of eccentric.

In Fig. l letter A is the main cylinder. B B are balance-wheels; C C, connecting-rods; D D D, governing-rods to feed-pump; E E, plunger-rod and spiral spring, F F, water tank or reservoir. G' G are fire-berths; H H, frame or bed work. I I is the regulator. K K is the smoke-stack.

In Fig. 2 letter A is the main cylinder. B B is length of stroke for piston H H. C C are the packingboxes; DD, piston-rods; EE, guides to piston-rod; H H, piston; .I J, levers for shutting off or letting on water; T T, checkvalve; O O, the escape or let-off; S S, the steam-generator; L L, inside of S S; I), solid screw-plug; F F, water tank or reservoir; M M, suction-pipe5 B B, leading-pipe from feedpump to steam-generator; XV IV W W, annular space between cylinder A and cylinders X X.

In Fig. 3 letter A is two half-circles; B, the escape-rod; D D,i`rictionrollers; C,the escape.

In Fig. 4 letter A is an inside view of feedpump; B B B, plunger and rod; C C, spiral spring; E E, friction-rollers; D D, eccentric on main crank.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing steam-engines so as to generate the steam no faster than it is used, thereby preventing explosion.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinventionJ will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

`I construct a double-acting engine on the plan of Fig. 1. The frame or bed work H H is of cast-iron, very much resembles the bedwork of a power-gear lathe, or it can be made of brick or stone with iron top ways for attaching the cylinder A, pump E, and drivingwheels B B.

K K are made of galvanized iron and cover both ends of cylinder A, or the whole draft can go up the back side.

In Fig. 2 letterA is made of castiron or any metal used for the purpose, and is three times thelength of the old-fashioned ones ofthe same diameter, having the same stroke for the piston. The cylinders X X are of cast metal and answer three purposes: rst, they are the cylinder-heads; second, they keep the dust from falling on piston-rod and guides; third, they form the annular space WV IV W NV, so as to prevent the pistonrod D D, packing-box C, and guides E E from getting so hot is to destroy the oil. Guides E E, packing-box C, pistonrod D D, and piston-head H H are all made in the usual way. T is made of composition, and is a common button-valve. It keeps the steam from going back into the generator S S on the baclestfroke. S S is made of cast metal, six inches in diameter, one foot long (more or less) for a {ive-horsepower engine, the inside L L about three inches diameter. This generator is to be used when salt-water has to be used. Then fresh water is used there is no use for plug P. Ilug P is screwed in, and is to be taken out at any time when the salt col lects. Pipe R R is common steam-pipe-iron or copper. Pipe M M is of the saine with strainer at the end in tank F F,to prevent any thing going into pump E. Reservoir or tank F F is made of boiler-plate, and holds about one hundred gallons for a five-horsepower engine, or the water can be drawn from a well or cistern, in which case the tank is not needed. It sets between the nre-berths G G and receives some heat from them, not enough to boil the water. The pipe M M passes through the ireberth G, so as to heat the water very hot. Vhen the pump E passes the water into L L, it is very hot, consequently it does not cool the generator S S, and less fuel is used than if cold water was used. The fire-berths are of iron or dre-brick. When coal is used, they are about one foot square and twenty inches deep. When oil is used, it is the same width, but extends farther back.

In Fig. 3 letter A is made of case-hardened iron or steel with a flange to fasten them to crank of driving-wheel B. In stationary en gines only one of these half-circles is needed. The use of these half-circles is to close the escape at the instant the steam acts on pistonhead H H,and to let it be entirely open on the backstroke. B is made of square iron with a pad of rubber packing, so as to shut the escape steam-tight. C is made of common brass or iron pipe of suitable diameter to let the steam pass free.

Fig. -L is made of composition with common button-valves and solid plunger. The plunger and rod B B B is thrown back by spiral spring C C and forward by eccentrics D D. rlhus it` will be seen by drawing up the spiral spring C C that the pump E can be regulated to throw a small amount of water or its full capacity into generator S S or shut off entirely by means of the regulators J J in Fig. 2. EE

are two friction-rollers. The generator S S is.

made round, flat, or oval. Other engines can be made to Work on this principle by using the same boiler for the reservoir, setting the steam-generator S S in the iire-berth, and connect pipes B B and M M with pump E and pump E to main crank, as before described, the old valves and eut-off to be made stationary. The old cylinder and balance-Wheel can be used by using spiral spring C C and eccentric D D.

To set the engine in operation, make one revolution of balance-wheel or one stroke of pump E by lever J. When less steam is desired, put the levers J J down toward figure 6. Then more steam or the whole head is wanted, bring the levers J J up to ligure l, which gives the pump E full stroke. Vhen the steam is to be cut off entirely, spread the levers J J out to their full extent. That leaves the engine entirely powerless and no danger of an explosion; but, should the steam-generator S S get very hot and a large quantity of Water thrown into spaceL L, it might break the generator. In such a case no great danger or damage would be done, as the generators can constantly be kept on handand easily replaced.

My engine differs from others in several respects: First, it has no boiler, and can be put into operation as soon as the generator gets hot enough to generate hot water into steam; second, it has no steam-chest; third, the cylinder-s are so close to the fire that they keep hot,which keeps the steam from going back to water; fourth, it generates steam no faster than it is used.

I do not claim to be the original inventor of the principle herein contained, for it is well known that Water and powder, when thrown upon a red-hot iron, produce the same effect; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl. The combination of the generator S S with the cylinder A,when constructed substantially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination and arrangement of cylinder A with cylinders X X, steam-generator S S, reservoir F F, and levers J J, operating in the manner-and for the purpose substan` tially as set forth.

3. The combination ofpump E, spiral spring C C, and eccentrics D D, in the manner and for the purpose substantially asdescribed.

JAMES E. ATWOOD.

Witnesses:

T. H. SHERMAN,

D. ROWLAND. 

